Hey i am also facinated with the song by a band named Brand New called Sic
Transit Gloria...Gloria Fades. I always loved the song for its beat and
whispers however i just found the lyrics and figured what it was saying.
Wow it is amazing! Finaly someone wrote something about the guy being
presured into sex. however, i also was looking deeper and i found this poem
and too was wondering if there was any connection with this poem and the
song. Thanks.

Thank you Kadan for a wonderfully insightful review. I'm not a studen of
Latin, but after your analysis feel I probably should be. I too find the
glaring absense of Carpe Diem interesting and wonder if its exclusion might
be a comment on the life of a contemplative.

And Bojana, yes, I was struck by the exact same poetic phrase that you so
deftly pointed out - to be interpreted each by their own life's experiences
- yours... freedom. I love the line "Mortality is fatal". What a
wonderful wit Ms. Dickinson!

Commencing in 1982, I took a few courses from a wonderful professor, Dr.
Hastings Moore, at the University of Colorado; the first of which was
entitled "Emily Dickinson - An Apophatic Poet". To this day, I can still
cite about 30 of her poems that elucidate simply and beautifully so many
TRUTHS.

The courses, the works, and the concepts provided therein changed my
thinking and redirected my life forevermore (a lofty claim to be sure, and
one not to be made lightly) - from critical thinking, spiritual ideas,
religion, poetry, and living/viewing life from "the circumference".

If curious (as a young woman, I was... and still am... curious!), I
recommend "The Neighborhood of IS" by Dr. Moore to the seasoned
contemplative as well as to anyone filled with curiousity and wonder of the
Divine as Emily certainly was. Delve in to the apophatic! Enter the Cloud
of Unknowing! Expand your depth and breadth!

Genevieve from United States

Comment 9 of 91, added on December 12th, 2005 at 10:40 PM.

i dont think theres any connection between the brand new song and her poem.
since the latin part basically means, glory fades, they just kinda put it
there in latin. at least..thats my spin on it.

tho..i must admit thats the reason why i looked at the poem. =P

karol from United States

Comment 8 of 91, added on November 23rd, 2005 at 11:32 AM.

i keep returning to this page to read this poem - again and again. after i
am thru, i view the comments to see if anybody has anything new to say; and
there always is.

heh..hello to everyone!
so...emily dickinson...huh.....the words are meaningless when i try to
explain whaat kind of emotions emily is producing in me when im reading her
poetry. Iwas at age of 16 when i first ahd a chance to meet with her..in my
thoughts through hers. Then after reading one book of her, i felt such urge
to find everything bout her, what is related with her and stuff. So next
thing I found was "Amherst's beauty" an really extraordinary book,
containing one play that was written by emily's thoughts but put up
together from her's close friend in a way he think thta emily would like to
do it. From that moment i was obsessed with thta kind of thought
structure-like a play......huh im sorry my english is not so good but i
hope u know about what kinda art im talking about...:)
.........ok, now bout this song
so Kadan explains us and me a lot of things[thanks:)], now there is some,
sholud i say easier part, called decribing emotions while and after reading
this song.... i think that this part of song is...
: Mortality is fatal --
Gentility is fine,
Rascality, heroic,
Insolvency, sublime

That kind of expressions and showing her enthusiasm for nature for liberty,
that emotions that most higher good in every one of us, so if liberty is
highest good in us, that is the main reason for us to celebrate it, and in
the moment someone took us from us in thta very moment you dont exist
anymore, living dead that has no spiritual reasons for living. So,
according to her spirit, that lion's strength, she realised that most
exciting thing in life, our oh-so-passing life is to celebrtae our freedom,
while we have it. in moment we loose her we can easily go six feet
under.......

now about the poem: Loomis asked what was ment by "sic transit gloria
mundi" and i answer that. it is Latin meaning "so passes worldly glory" or
more normaly "fame fades", in fact this poem is riddled with latin, it also
contains "dum vivimus vivamus"(let us live while we live), "veni,vidi,
vici"( i came, i saw, i conquered), "caput"(head), "cap-a pie"(from head to
foot), and "memento mori"(remember you are mortal) all of these phrases
have to do with the posibly most famous latin phrase: "carpe diem" "seize
the day" but that is the only one not there, i find that interesting.

i wanted to know something...if anyone knows...there is a band named brand
new, and one of their songs is called "sic transit gloria...glory fades" i
was wondering if there was a connection...cause i dont know! :)

Kisses

Loomis from United States

Comment 3 of 91, added on August 11th, 2005 at 7:20 AM.

really children, ugh!

shiv reddy from United States

Comment 2 of 91, added on May 8th, 2005 at 12:56 PM.

I like this poem and Ms. Dickinson, and if you don't use this site for the
poems, well then don't get on it. I agree with the last comment. And no I
am not that old, i am only 15. . .

Kristen from United States

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